


Last Life

by Sleepy_Sho



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arsonist Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Blood and Violence, Broken Promises, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Fluff, Friends to Enemies, Gen, Genderfluid Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Ghost Wilbur Soot, Healing, Hearing Voices, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Insecurity, King Eret (Video Blogging RPF), M/M, Manipulation, Manipulative Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Mental Instability, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Possible Character Death, Protective Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Sad Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Self-Doubt, Suicidal Thoughts, Tags May Change, Team as Family, Technoblade Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF), Tired Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:41:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28420044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleepy_Sho/pseuds/Sleepy_Sho
Summary: He had always been on one side of war. He had always been on Dream's side, even when he wasn't on his. He didn't notice (or didn't want to acknowledge) the rift between them until it was too late. Until the very person cut their ties for some stupid discs. With no one to follow, he has to make his own choices now. Does he take the enemy's hand, or let himself fall into a hopeless spiral?
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Eret & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap & Wilbur Soot, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 173





	1. Secret Base

**Author's Note:**

> I won't go into full detail, but all I can say is that canon lives have been changed, and events from the Dream SMP plot will be changed as well to fit with my plot. POVs will change from one character to another, so do expect that as well as possible OOC from characters. If you get confused, then you can comment by a part you don't understand, and I'll gladly explain it the best I can without spoiling as much of the plot. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Sleep was something he used to have. Sleep was something he used to enjoy. Sleep was something he then fought for. Sleep was something he ended up losing. But after finally running away from being the prisoner to his own hell, sleep was what he could finally have in peace.

~•~•~•~•~

Opening his heavy eyelids, Tommy woke up to the distant sound of zombies groaning outside somewhere above. Rubbing the exhaustion out of his eyes, he rolled out of bed to start climbing up the ladder to the main floor of his new companion's house. Once he made it to the last step of the ladder, he had to blink for a few seconds when he found Technoblade standing by one of his many chests as he pulled things out, and shoving them inside his satchel. He barely had time to pull himself out of the hole to stand when an enchanted, netherite sword was tossed his way along with a half full satchel. To say the least, they were going to have a busy day unlike yesterday.

"Wait! We're going to L'Manburg?!"

"Yes, Tommy, I said it like ten times already. Now hurry up, and go put your enchanted, netherite armor on. It should be somewhere in one of the chests."

The thought of going back to L'Manburg excited and frightened him at the same time. He gets to finally see his home again, his real home. Tommy rushed over to one of the chests to look for his armor, and his enchanted pickaxe as well until a sudden thought hit him. What if someone notices them and rats them out? No. No, they wouldn't do that. They're still his friends, right? Shaking his head, he took his armor out as he sat down on the floor to get himself suited up. He barely had his netherite boots on until another thought popped up. What if Dream was there? Dream wouldn't hesitate to kill him, that's for sure. Was he really going to waste his last life like this? Turning around with his helmet in hand, the younger male stared into Technoblade's back as he clutched the helmet in a tight grip.

"Hey, um, Technoblade?"

"Yes Tommy?"

"When-When we go into L'Manburg...Technoblade, if I die...I'm...I'm gone..."

They stood there in silence, the only sound being the water bubbling in the potion bottles, and the snowy wind outside that hit against the house gently. After a few seconds of adding ingredients into the bottles to create some sort of potion, did the other finally turn around to face the distraught human.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"TECHNOBLADE!"

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!...Look, all I can tell you is keep your netherite armor on unless we have to go fully invisible, and make sure you have your sword with you. I can't do much without my weapons, but that doesn't mean I won't hesitate to stab someone in the eye with an enchanted pickaxe, Tommy."

Tommy stood frozen in his spot as he stared at Technoblade with wide eyes, processing the words in his head until his helmet was taken out of his hands, and put on his head by rough yet surprisingly gentle hands. After that, he was handed a few invisibility, speed, and strength potions, allowing the deep pit of anxiety to disappear, and fill with excitement instead. Maybe he was right. As long as he has his armor, sword, and potions in hand, he won't have to worry about losing his last life. He made sure the straps to his netherite armor were tightened, his enchanted pickaxe and sword secured and sheathed on right, and the potions along with some other items were safely secured in his satchel. Looking back up, he could see the piglin hybrid waiting by the door to start making their way to the nether portal. He was glad that the older male had extra clothing he could use since he wasn't exactly prepared to live out in the cold when he first ran away from his exploded, makeshift home.

The snow crunched underneath his netherite boots as they moved towards the portal, staring into Technoblade's back the whole time. Luckily, with the speed potion they drank after stepping outside into the cold, they would be able to get to the portal in due time. Tommy nearly tripped a few times when he tried to make some risky jumps with his heightened speed, but other than that, they made it to the portal with no problem at all. The sensation of feeling dizzy surrounded him as he stood in the middle of the purple haze that was made by the obsidian built portal until the scenery changed from a land of snow to a land of lava and nether stone. Now that he was in the nether, he could slowly feel his fears starting to crawl back tenfold just at the thought of the faceless man finding him there. He was forbidden from entering the nether after Dream exploded his tent and Wilbur's home.

"Wait, you're banned from the nether, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, so I _can't_ be seen in the nether right now Techno. I'm begging you, _please_ don't let us get seen."

"We're gonna be fine, Tommy. See? There isn't anyone around here."

Isn't wasn't until the sound of a ghastly cry did his anxiety nearly sky rocket.

"Oh god! Where's the ghast?! We need to hide!"

"Tommy! Calm down! Look, its shooting at someone else."

"That doesn't make it any better!"

With shaky hands, Tommy reached for his sword, ready to swing at anyone that came their way. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Technoblade set his invisible hands on his shoulders as he led him away from the distracted ghast to a path that led them towards one of the many bridges connected to the main nether portal. It was still unbelievable that they were actually going to L'Manburg, but with the heavy weight of his netherite armor and sword sheathed to his side, it gave him reassurance along with the hands on his shoulders that kept him grounded. It wasn't until he felt the familiar dizziness of entering the nether portal did he finally take a shaky breath to calm down his nerves.

"Breathe Tommy, and make sure to take an invisibility potion when you start feeling the effects wearing off."

When the scenery of obsidian walls change to an open sky, the invisible teen nearly jumped in his spot when he was jerked forward before he got transported back into the nether. Tommy processed the change of scenery until he felt a slight nudge to his right, only to see floating netherite armor. Letting out a wheezy laugh, he decided that it was best to ignore his anxiety for now, and focus on enjoying his time in his homeland. With Technoblade taking the lead, they made their way through the first house built on the land before finding the main path that led throughout the whole land. The first buildings they saw were the old buildings that brought back old memories such as the one and only Prime Church. Grabbing the other's arm, he started to pull him towards the direction of the prime path, hoping to get him to go to the church.

"Come on Techno! Lets go to the Prime Church!"

"Tommy, even though violence isn't allowed, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to bend the rules a bit to kill two exiles."

"It'll be fine! Lets just ring the bell real quick, and then move on to looking for your stupid weapons."

It felt nice to be inside the Prime Church again. It felt as if gentle arms were wrapping themselves around him as he took a step inside the building once again. The holy waterfall reflected his expression as he stared into the water, seeing a much younger and more alive version of himself that is actually smiling before moving on with Technoblade following close behind. Making his way towards the back of the church, Tommy let his hand gently touch the cold metal of the church bell as old memories washed over him like a wave. Gently, he hit the bell with his knuckles causing it to ring softly, yet it sounded so loudly in his ears. The ring gently echoed inside the church until it faded, but it was enough to make the ends of his hair rise.

"Alright, you rang the bell, so lets go before somebody gets here."

"Y-Yeah, okay."

Making their way back outside, the gentle arms that were hugging him close finally let go once he stepped out the door, causing the protection he felt disappear along with the warmth and comfort. Tommy fought against the urge to run back inside, instead focusing on following the floating netherite armor towards L'Manburg. There were new buildings left and right, some that seemed festive, some that seemed ordinary, and some that seemed rather strange. Would it still have continued to look like this even _without_ the wars?...Maybe. Probably not. Along the way, he got to visit his old house which could barely be called a house because of the destruction it had faced in the past. His things were still there luckily, but it just didn't feel homey like it used to. They moved on from his house onto the path towards L'Manburg until he felt a sudden force hit him against his chest.

"What the-Techno!"

"Take another invisibility potion, Tommy. _Now._ "

"What? Is it time already? Or-"

"There's someone ahead of us. Take it now because the potion is close to losing its effect, and we can't afford being caught now."

"R-Right."

Flipping open the flap of his satchel to grab an invisibility potion, Tommy didn't notice someone walking over until he felt a hand grab his arm, and yank him to the side behind a large rock. Technoblade's enchanted, netherite armor moved in a gesture that he assumed was to stay still or quiet as he quickly moved to crouch next to the invisible man. Quietly, he took the invisibility potion out, and uncorked the bottle before chugging down the liquid inside. It left a slight bitter taste in his mouth, but it was all too familiar to him that he didn't even notice it as much as he used to back then. He put the bottle back inside the satchel, and fixed himself to sit on the grass in a more comfortable position. The soft thuds of boots hitting the wooden path grew louder as it came from his left side, the person pausing for a moment before continuing on until it faded off to his right. They sat on the grass for a few minutes longer, waiting just in case the person that walked by come back again. Pulling at the grass underneath his fingers, his eyes moved slowly to scan the area until they landed on a wood and glass dome shaped building.

"Hey Techno, do you see that?"

"See what Tommy? I can't tell what you're looking at because we're invisible right now, and we're supposed to be hiding, not exploring."

"Oh come on! Look over there! That dome!"

"You mean the dome that is mostly made of _glass_. Really Tommy, we're not going _into_ a _glass_ dome unless you want to be caught."

"I didn't say I wanted to go _in_ the glass dome, but now that you mention it, maybe I _do_ want to go in the glass dome."

Tommy could hear an annoyed groan to his left, but ignored it as he pushed himself up from the ground to start making his way towards said glass dome. He doesn't know _why_ he wants to go to the dome. Maybe because it looked so odd, and stuck out of place just a bit from all the other buildings around it. It wasn't until he got closer to the dome did he see what was inside.

"It's a bee house, Techno. It has been so long since I last saw a bee."

Picking up his pace, he took off into a short sprint as he closed the distance between him and the bee house. Tommy opened the doors quickly before shutting them again, nearly falling onto the grass and flowers beneath him as the bees continued to fly along with little care to the human in their dome. It all felt like nothing more than a dream, but his dreams were never this beautiful. Did Tubbo build this? It wouldn't be surprising if he did. He always said he wanted to build a bee house. He didn't even realize how far off into his head he was until the doors to the bee house opened, causing him to tense up under his netherite armor. Turning around, he let his shoulders relax once he realized that it was only Technoblade, and not anyone else from L'Manburg.

"We can build our secret base here, Techno!"

"In a bee house? That doesn't make any sense."

"Sure it does! People wouldn't expect a secret base under a _bee_ house of all things. And look! There's even a basement!"

"Is that suppose to be a good thi-Tommy? Wait, hold on."

Ignoring the other's mild protest, Tommy walked over to a wooden, spiral staircase that led downstairs into the basement. Technoblade followed close behind after taking a moment to wonder why he even brought the blonde teen with him as they made their way down, finding more bee hives connected to makeshift tree trunks along with flowers growing around the area.

"They're even growing flowers down here when they can't even get sunlight?"

"Oh shush, I'm trying to think how to make our secret base here."

"You're thinking for once? I'm surprised."

Rolling his eyes, Tommy turned back to stare blankly at the wooden walls surrounding the basement as he tried to think of a way to make their base without disturbing anything. If they were to make their base _underneath_ the basement of the bee house, then they would need to cover their entrance to the base with something quite noticeable. But if they were to make their base _behind_ the walls...

"Techno! Get over here! I might need your help."

Pulling up his sleeves, Tommy moved towards the wall closest to him, grazing his fingers along the wooden planks before finding a plank that was out of place just a bit, but enough for his fingers to pry it off the wall. It was difficult to try and slip his fingers in between the two wooden planks, but after getting nudged to the side, he decided to let Technoblade take a shot at prying the planks open.

"Watch and learn, Tommy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Still, he watched as Technoblade dug the wedged end of his enchanted pickaxe into the crack of the planks before he pushed the handle up with one hand causing the bottom plank to lean out more until it was yanked off by his other hand. Luckily, one of the enchantments allowed any objects he mined into remain in their true form if he wanted it to, so the planks remained unharmed to leave little evidence behind about their break in. Once that was pulled off, Tommy started to pull off the other planks on the bottom while the taller male got the planks on top. They continued to pull the wooden planks off the wall until they had a decent doorway that could be used to enter their secret base. He unstrapped his enchanted pickaxe from behind his back, giving his partner a wide grin as he lifted the pickaxe above his head, and bringing it down into the stone wall. From then on, they took shifts on mining into the stone wall, so that left the other to keep an eye out for anyone coming in and to move the pieces of stone that they can throw out later if they need to.

They went on like this for an hour or so, the time shorten thanks to the enchantments in their pickaxes which made breaking into the stone a lot easier. Unfortunately, they had to stop for half an hour when Tommy accidentally hit into a weak point somewhere above his head to the right, causing water to suddenly pour out from the lake that was somewhere above. Luckily, Technoblade was able to cover it up with a decent sized rock that he found inside the pile of rocks they made, and fitting it into the hole with the end of his pickaxe to keep the water from leaking out. After that, they went back to mining into the stone until he hit an opening of sort.

"Holy shit, Techno! Look! I think there's a cave down here!"

Tommy nearly fell through the much larger opening he created after he continued to hit his pickaxe against the edges of the small one until he made a suitable opening. There was barely any light to see until a torch came into his side view causing the first few feet in front of him to light up. Based on what he could see, it was a large enough cave for possible spiders and bats to inhabit it, but he could hear the sound of bones rattling as they hit against one another. He could hear Technoblade mutter something about getting rid of the skeletons and spiders first before they headed any deeper. Looking down, he could see ledges that were easy enough to climb down onto as long as he had steady feet. Turning around, small hands grabbed onto the sturdy ledge as he bent down while letting his legs dangle down until he felt hard ground underneath his feet.

He did this a few times, letting himself hang off a ledge until he felt sturdy ground underneath his feet, but he miscalculated one of the steps causing him to nearly stumble and fall. There was the sound of shuffling and soft thuds above him until the soft, warm, glowing light of the torch suddenly appear close to his face.

"If you don't want to lose your last life, then don't lose it to falling off a ledge because you can't see, idiot."

"Then you should have given the torch to me if you knew I was going to come down here!"

Even with the little light the torch gave, he could still see bright red eyes roll in annoyance as the taller male easily climbed down the ledge until he reached the bottom. Tommy continued to climb down while Technoblade dealt with the skeletons and spiders below. It wasn't until he finally reached the bottom was he handed a torch, the place being lit up more and more with the torches that the older male created with some coal, cloth, and sticks. He raised an eyebrow as the banished king pull his long hair from its low ponytail, and start to braid it until it was finished and hung over his right shoulder.

"I'm going to check out the waterfall, so wait for me here until I get back."

"Hey, hold o-"

Before Tommy could get a chance to ask why, Technoblade already started to walk away, disappearing with only the soft thuds of his footsteps echoing behind him, and the soft light of the torch in his hand. Bright blue eyes stared out into the barely lit cave as he thought about the wondrous things they could do to create their secret base. Maybe they could keep their hound army here along with the TNT and wither skulls that the banished king himself kept stashed away. He leaned back against the stone wall as he waited for the other to get back, passing the time by making up ideas and throwing any pebbles he found on the ground into the darkness of the cave. It was at least ten minutes until he heard the soft, echoing sound of boots hitting against stone floor did he push himself off the wall to see the other soaking wet.

"We're right underneath Karl's statue that he created, so we can set base here."

"Hell yeah! I've already gotten awesome plans for our secret base."

"Sure. The only thing we need to worry about is the entrances since we have two of them. One from the bee house, and one from the lake."

"Ah, is that why you're all wet?"

"Yes, Tommy, that's why I'm all wet. I swam up through an opening after following the stream that created the waterfall into the cave which came from the lake obviously."

"Then lets get to fixing this place up man!"

~•~•~•~•~

"Can we take a break now? We've been working for a few hours already."

  
Tommy put his pickaxe down as he stretched his arms above his head while the other continued to mine into the cave's wall. It was odd to see Technoblade so focused on the task at hand, but he eventually put his pickaxe down as well, wiping away the sweat on his face before giving him a side glance.

"We can stop here for today, but we'll have to come back to start making more progress tomorrow."

"Hell yeah! Do you have anymore invisibility potions? I want to explore a little bit more."

"I ran out of invisibility potions, so we're stuck being visible until we get back to my house."

"Oh, uh, you know some good hiding spots, right? You said you've been in L'Manburg a few times without getting caught."

He rubbed his arm as he tried to calm his nerves. Without the invisibility potion, they'll be easily seen, so it'll make exploring and heading back to the house a lot harder than he would have liked. The anxiety from before about possibly dying was messing with his nerves again. A strong hand landed on his shoulder, jerking him out of his panic daze to stare at narrowed, red eyes.

"I did come to L'Manburg a few times, but I'm not exactly a stealthy individual. Neither are you Tommy, so we're quite in a predicament here."

"We were able to get here without any problems though!"

"We had invisibility potions, and we nearly got caught since we can't take our armor off. That's fine though, as long as I have my pickaxe, and you with your sword, I'm sure we can get out of here just fine. Not without a little bit of bloodshed though."

At that, Technoblade let out a soft chuckle as he straps his pickaxe to his side where his sword used to have been, picking up a torch along the way to make his way back towards their makeshift entrance. He decided to take that as a small bit of...reassurance? Tommy lets out his own chuckle, strapping his pickaxe onto his back while running to catch up with the other that was already climbing his way back up. His excitement came back as he stuck close to the more skilled of the two as he went on a mindless rant about the stone tower he'll build somewhere close to the house, _their_ house, as well as their plan to create an army of dogs to use for the next possible war.

On the way out, they took the piles of stone, and tossed them down into the cave since they basically made more piles of stone down there. Taking the wooden planks they left on a pile by the stairs, Tommy took to taking care of putting some wooden planks back on the bottom while Technoblade took care of the ones on top. There was still no signs of any other person appearing as they made their way out, the shorter male following the other close behind as they walked along the edges of the river connected to the lake. It wasn't eventful as to when they first came in, but thanks to the lack of people, it was safer for them to start walking along the main paths that connected each little land, country, or nation together. They continued to walk along the path aimlessly until sky blue eyes spotted a mysterious, black pyramid like structure not too far from the path.

"Psst, Techno, do you know what that place is?"

"I don't keep up with L'Manburg, Tommy."

"Oh come on Techno! You have to know _something._ "

"I know nothing, now lets head back to the house since there isn't much of anything to do here."

"Exactly! So lets go check it out!"

Tommy barely gave the protesting older male a chance to talk before he ran off the main path towards the mysterious pyramid like structure. It was just like the dome, stuck out from all the other buildings, and was so odd looking.

"Tommy, get back over here!"

"It's going to be fine! It's not like anyone is here anyways."

Carefully, he climbed up the steps with the other following close behind. It was fun to cause trouble, but a lot of people say that's why they found him annoying at times. It's not like he can help it, it's basically in his nature to cause trouble. After climbing up to the top, the adventurous teen could see a possible entrance at the bottom, lights shining a soft glow to the outside. He didn't need to turn around to know the other was going into adult mode.

"There's an entrance to the pyramid over here, Techno!"

"Of course it has a entrance, Tommy. How else would anyone get in?"

"A secret entrance?"

The tired sigh that followed the question made a mischievous smile grow on his face.

"Do you think we should go inside?"

"Go insi-Do you _want_ us to get caught, Tommy?"

"No, because then we'll probably get hunted down, but it's not like it'll hurt to at least take a peek."

  
Going down the steps, Tommy barely gave Technoblade another glance as he got closer to the entrance. Once he made it to the bottom, smug blue eyes looked back up to see red eyes glare down at him with arms crossed like a disappointed adult would do.

"Come on Techno, it's fi-"

Tommy went quiet as the door slowly opens. He needed to run. He needed to hide. Yet, his legs were stuck frozen like a deer caught in headlights as hazel eyes stare at him in shock.

"Tommy?"


	2. Making Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blood for the blood god. Blood for the blood king. Blood that will fall on his hands. The voice's commands was like second nature to him. They would ask for violence. They would ask for murder. Naturally, the blade will always comply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to put it out there that events of the Dream SMP will be changed, so this will be a Canon Divergence AU. Characters will also be possibly OOC (Out of Character), so do expect that as well. POVs will switch from chapter to chapter, or stay in one POV until later on. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Blood for the blood god. Blood for the blood king. Blood that will fall on his hands. The voice's commands was like second nature to him. They would ask for violence. They would ask for murder. Naturally, the blade will always comply.

~•~•~•~•~

"Tommy? What are you doing here?"

"I-"

Tommy's eyes widen in panic, taking a step back as the other took a step forward. The air in his lungs grew weak with how quick he was breathing, the panic settling in after the shock finally disappeared. 

"Tommy, I _said_ what are yo-"

A tall figure suddenly appeared from behind causing a looming shadow to cast over them. The dark haired male turned away from the blonde teen only to be met with a sudden swing of a pickaxe. Light blue eyes widen in shock before locking on fearful hazel eyes as a shaking hand moved up to hold a slashed, bleeding neck. Blood fell between shaking fingers like mini waterfalls. Bloody lips shook as he tried to speak, only to spit out blood and choked words. Glowing red eyes stare at the shaking body with no remorse as the figure held the bloody pickaxe in his hand.

Then silence.

A few seconds passed as Technoblade flicked his pickaxe to the side to let a few drops of blood splatter against the grass, staring remorselessly at the dissolving body with nothing but the blood remaining behind. Tommy nearly fell on his knees in shock, the attack happening so suddenly that Sapnap barely even had time to defend himself until it was too late. Blood decorated the grass where the body once was as a reminder for the person and anyone else there that they died there. It shouldn't be that surprising to see bloodshed with how much he's seen it the past few months, yet the fear that was visibly showing on the other's face pushed him back to memories of his first days of war. 

  
"Oh my fucking god, Techno! What the fuck was that?!"

"A dead man can tell no tales, Tommy."

"We're not fucking pirates, Techno! He still has another life as well! Oh God, we're so screwed."

"Not if we just kill him again. I also told you to not go to the pyramid, but what do you do? You go to the pyramid, and I had to save your ass from getting killed."

"Well, we don't know that. He-He didn't even have anything on him! We could have made a deal with him to keep quiet!"

"He's friends with _Dream_ , Tommy, or did you forget that already?"

Technoblade continued to glare down at Tommy to emphasize his disappointment and impatience, for how long they've been standing there instead of killing the dark haired male inside and leaving L'Manburg. The blonde teen scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest while giving his own glare back at the piglin hybrid. As much as he hated to admit it, the older male was right about getting the idea to even come to the pyramid which was a major blow to his pride. He was always on the right, and when he wasn't, it was hard to even admit such thing.

"Look, maybe...maybe you're right, but that kill was most definitely uncalled for."

"If I didn't kill him, then he would have tried to rat us out the moment he got the chance."

"You're not wrong about that, pig man."

They both looked over to see Sapnap standing by the doorway with his enchanted, netherite sword in hand. In his eyes, there was pure determination burning like flames as a wicked smile formed on his face.

"Nice to see you again, pyro boy."

"Oh shut up, so I can stick this sword up your ass."

"You're quite persistent even when the odds of winning is not on your side, Sapnap."

"Yeah, well, I _am_ Dream's _friend_ , Technoblade, or did _you_ forget that already?"

Tommy stares at the scene in front of him with wide eyes, stuck between either backing up his partner, or laughing at the comeback that was most _definitely_ reused from their conversation.

"Lets be honest here, Sapnap. You're not his _friend_ , you're his _puppet._ "

Fists clench tightly as blazing hazel eyes glare into smug red eyes that had a murderous, glowing aura to it. A sly smirk graced his lips as Technoblade stocked forward towards the obviously angered teen, letting his pickaxe drag against the grass behind him leaving a thin trail behind.

"I'm a blunt man, Sapnap, so this shouldn't be anything new to you. You _know_ you're his puppet, but you just keep telling yourself that your his _friend_ because it's easier than accepting the _truth_."

"SHUT UP!"

Sapnap swung his sword once the other got closer, aiming directly at the enemy's exposed waist. Surprisingly light, swift feet helped Technoblade dodge to the right, his smirk never leaving his face as he stared intriguingly at the visible anger on the ravenette's face. Raising his pickaxe, he swung at the shorter male's face seeing as he didn't bother to wear a helmet, only for it to meet with the wall instead of soft flesh. Tommy was stuck watching the two fight, dodging each other's attacks while clashing their weapons together to see who'll back down first.

"Have you ever heard the Greek tale of Damon and Pythia, Sapnap?"

"Who gives a fuck about Greek tales?! The only fuck I give is putting this sword into your head!"

"I'm not surprised, you don't really use your head often."

Suddenly, Sapnap found himself pinned onto the ground, his own sword swiped from his hands to be pointed at his neck as Technoblade stands over him with a stoic face.

"Let me make this easier for you to understand, Sapnap. There were two friends, Damon and Pythia. One day, Pythia was accused of plotting against the tyrant, Dionysus, and was sentenced to death. Dionysus didn't like the idea of letting Pythia walk away to say his farewells, so Damon then to give himself as a hostage to Dionysus. What did he do? Dionysus gave Pythia a deal. If he was able to get back before the hours ended, then he would let both of them go. If he didn't get back on time, then Damon was to be executed. Pythia accepted the deal, and was sent off to his home. The hours ticked by, and Pythia didn't return. Dionysus was disappointed while Damon held hope. Once the hours ended, Dionysus demanded for Damon to be executed on the spot. However, before Damon could be executed, Pythia suddenly appeared, telling the tyrant why his timing was delayed. Dionysus was surprised that Pythia came back to save his friend, but as he promised in his deal, he let both of them go."

He could see the other's fiery, blazing eyes starting to waver. Distrust. Confusion. Hesitant. Rage. _Waver_ _ing._

"So, let me tell you this bluntly, Sapnap. You're not Dream's _friend_. You're just his _puppet_. His _pawn._ His _chess piece_ _._ You're not Damon while Dream isn't Pythia. He's been using you the moment he knew he could have the power to control these lands. If he had to sacrifice a friend to get what he wanted, then he would let them die in a heartbeat. Did you really think you would mean _anythin_ g to him, Sapnap? Are you important enough to him that he is willing to give his own life for you? To put a stop to his plans from reaching the top? Dream isn't Pythia. Dream is Dolos, mostly known as the God of Betrayal, fitting for someone like Dream, isn't it?"

The flames start to grow dimmer until it was just a candle light. Desperation. Denial. Fear. _Dimmi_ _ng._

"Dream will easily manipulate you into thinking that he's your friend until he throws you to the side once he has his hands on the crown. He'll pull your strings from his spot on the throne until he sees no use for you anymore. He'll cut off your strings, and you'll be nothing but a useless puppet."

The flames finally die into nothing but ashes. Acceptance. Emotionless. _Gone._

"TECHNOBLADE!"

Tommy grabbed onto Technoblade's arm that held the other's sword, fighting back the urge to yell at the man as he gripped onto the cold armor tightly. Old memories were being dug up as the other went on and on, making it harder to not feel _guilty_ and _sympathy_ even though he shouldn't be feeling any such things. Hesitantly, he glanced down to see Sapnap's expressionless face as his long bangs hung low to cover his eyes. The flames once dancing and roaring with fiery were now just ashes of nothing.

"That's enough, Techno. Put the sword down, you made your point."

He continued to hold onto Technoblade's arm until he finally put his arm down, tossing the sword onto the ground with little care about it. Tommy removed his hands, and let them fall to let himself have a moment as his emotions were settling down from frantic waves to a calm stream. The rustling of clothing caught his attention, glancing down to see Sapnap push himself up into a sort of sitting position on the grass.

"Alright Tommy, give me one good reason as to _why_ you're here instead of staying in that tent of yours, and it better be good enough for me to have cost one of my lives."

"Er, well...We're kind of just visiting, ya know? I checked out my old house, and we visited the bee house-"

"Tommy, you literally brought a _wanted man_ who is known for killing anyone that gets in his way."

"I won't hesitate to do it again."

The intensity of the atmosphere was like a thick fog that caused his throat to close up, making it hard to breathe, and think of an answer. Sapnap glared at Technoblade, the taller one doing the same in return. Removing his helmet, Tommy ran one his hands through his hair in stress and frustration, getting his fingers tangled in the untamed locks that he didn't even bother trying to tame from his time in exile.

"Sapnap, remember the promise we made? After letting Mars go back in the ocean, we promised that after the war was over we would become friends, remember?"

"...Yeah?"

"If you really meant that promise Sapnap, then _please_ let me just explain everything right now. I will even owe you a favor! And-And if you don't want to be involved at all, that's fine! You can just let us go, and we could pretend nothing happened."

"It's hard to forget about something that just happened when I was literally killed not too long ago, Tommy."

"Okay, that's Technoblade's fault, but Sapnap, _please_ just let me explain. I'm literally _begging_ you right now, isn't that enough?"

Unconsciously, Tommy bit the inside of his cheek, hoping that bringing up their promise would probably help make their escape easier. Maybe even give them a new ally if it's convincing enough. Then again, he's _Dream's_ friend, so it was highly unlikely for that to happen. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Even though he should be more cautious at the moment, it was obvious that it was Technoblade's hand trying to keep him grounded again. His usual murderous aura replaced with a cool and stoic one instead. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, he let himself focus on Sapnap's conflicted expression, hazel eyes going from the nervous teen to the stoic male next to him.

"Look...I'll let you explain, but I want you to explain _everything._ I also want _him_ to stay outside. I don't want him anywhere near the others inside."

"Wait, there's others?"

"Well, yeah, I didn't build this myself you know. Quackity, Karl, and George are sleeping right now, but we can talk just inside real quick instead of going down where the others are."

"Oh, uh, sure. Technoblade?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice or say here."

"Uh, yeah, that is true. I guess we're good then."

"Good, uh, follow me inside. I can grab us some cookies that Karl made yesterday."

Tommy couldn't stop himself from smiling while stretching a hand out for the other to take. There was a moment of hesitation, hazel eyes staring at the outstretched hand before taking the offering hand to pull himself up to stand. After dusting himself off and grabbing his scattered sword, Sapnap nodded at the blonde teen while giving Technoblade one last glance before turning around to head inside the pyramid shaped home. Giving the older male a final glance as well, he followed the ravenette into the pyramid, taking in on how bare it was on the inside besides a few chests, a furnace, and a crafting table.

Kicking the ground with the tip of his shoes, he watched as Sapnap walked over to stand between two chests before crouching down which caused his vision to be blocked for a moment. However, he could hear the sound of a latch being removed, and the near silent squeak of a trapdoor being opened as well. Tommy walked a little bit closer to already see the other halfway down a ladder that led downwards into more rooms that he probably wouldn't have expected to see.

"I'll be right back, we left the cookies in a barrel somewhere down here. Just, uh, make yourself comfortable I guess."

Nodding stiffly, Tommy went back to looking at the bare walls, moving towards one of the chests to lean against until Sapnap came back. Staring blankly at the ground, he let his shoulders lump down as the rollercoaster of emotions finally settled down. Was this the smartest idea? Not really, but what else could he have done? He could be waking up the others to attack for all he knew, but that wasn't something he would do, would he?

It just didn't feel right to let someone he somewhat trusted to an extent die because he decided to explore some black pyramid instead of leaving. Shaking his head, Tommy let out an exhausted sigh while tilting his head back to stare at the dark ceiling. Everything could have been avoided if he had listened. He barely even heard the soft thud that was followed by a curse, watching with amusement as a mop of black hair slowly appeared to reveal an annoyed Sapnap climbing out of the trapdoor while rubbing his elbow gently.

"Fuck man, I hate the stupid chest they left there. I keep hitting myself every time I pass by that stupid thing."

Tommy had to bite down in his tongue to keep himself from laughing at the other's misery, completely ignoring the pout that was directed towards him by the distraught older teen.

"Shut up or you're not getting any of Karl's famous chocolate chip cookies."

"Okay okay, whatever you say, big man."

Nonetheless, he was handed three of Karl's famous chocolate chip cookies as Sapnap likes to call them, stuffing a cookie in his mouth with no hesitation since it has been awhile since he last had a cookie. The chocolate melted in his mouth as Tommy took his time to eat the cookie, nearly melting down onto the floor himself with how delicious it tasted. After finishing one cookie, he moved onto the other, but made sure to take smaller bites instead of eating it whole to cherish the taste.

"Compliments to the chef, it's delicious if I do say so myself."

"Well, he isn't exactly that good of a chef, more of a baker, but I'll make sure to give him a compliment in your behalf."

There was a comfortable atmosphere around them that Tommy barely gave any thought until he realized that he basically ate something from a potential enemy with no hesitation. Sapnap could have poisoned the cookie for all he knew, yet he didn't taste anything strange. It instead tasted delicious like any other cookie he had ever tasted. Maybe he trusted the other to an extent because they had some similarities, a mutual understanding, a rivalry, or that they're both teens. Teens that fought on opposite sides of wars they were dragged in, or created for personal reasons. It didn't help that they were still in war whether the other knew it or not.

"As much as I enjoy these cookies, you still have to explain yourself and for Technoblade as to _why_ you're here, Tommy."

It took all his willpower to not flinch once the calm atmosphere harden to a tense silence. Nodding stiffly, Tommy stared somewhere at the wall behind Sapnap's head to avoid his gaze, losing his appetite as the nerves returned back once again.

"Oh, yeah, uhhh..."

"Take your time, I don't think they'll wake up anytime soon since it's still close to midnight I think."

"Yeah...You-You promise that you won't tell anyone, right?"

"It really depends what exactly you guys are doing, Tommy."

"Look, I'm trying to save your life, Sapnap!"

"Okay, whatever, but you need to tell me the truth here, Tommy. It's the only way for me to know I'm not making a mistake here."

Sighing in frustration, Tommy ran a hand through his hair as he started to pace to get his nerves to relax in order to focus. Sapnap was leaning back against the black stone wall nonchalantly with his arms crossed over his chest, having finished the cookies to get back to business.

"It's-It's complicated! You shouldn't even know we're here! I'll admit that it was my fault that I fucked up our stealth mission."

"I would have never thought I would see the day that TommyInnit would admit about fucking up."

"Shut up! Only you heard me ever say it, so it's not like anyone would believe you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. It still won't help your case about all that happened tonight, Tommy. Especially with the fact that I _died_ , so I can either lie for you, or have a wanted poster put on your head by tomorrow."

A wanted poster on his head, on _his_ head. Tommy knew that Technoblade already had a wanted poster, but he never thought of _himself_ getting a wanted poster. Biting the inside his cheek, he turned on his heel to face Sapnap, glaring at the smug look he was given in return.

"That's a dirty move, and you know it."

"Yeah, well, who said I have to play fair? I mean, you _did_ let Technoblade kill me, and I can easily blame you for being his accomplice."

"It's not _my_ fau-"

"Yes it is, Tommy, so stop trying to say it is."

"Okay, it's _half_ my fault, how about that?"

"I mean, as long as you admit it's sorta your fault, it's good enough for me."

Tommy wanted to pull his hair with how childish their fight was going, even though the other should be the older one between the two. He glared when Sapnap hid a smile behind his hand as he tried to contain the laughter that was bubbling in his chest. Groaning and letting out a sigh of frustration, the younger teen gave the older teen a tired stare while leaning back to rest against one of the many chests to let himself relax for a moment.

"This is getting nowhere you know that, right?"

"Oh yeah, I know, I'm just seeing how long I can let this drag out."

"This is absolutely stupid. _You're_ absolutely stupid."

"No I'm not!"

"..."

Is it tempting to just kill the man, and run away? Yes, yes it is. Sadly, he needed him alive to hopefully get away without getting a wanted poster on his head.

"Sapnap, for the love of God, are you even taking any of this serious?"

"Not exactly. If I was going to be serious about this, then you would be dead right now, and I would wake the others up downstairs to help me kill Technoblade. Sure, I would probably die again, but if it means fighting Technoblade to the death, then I'm down for it. That's all we're good for, right?"

The sad smile and desperation swimming in a pool of hazel was far from the stoic and smug look he was given earlier. It was unsettling to watch as the mask that the older teen created was cracking, revealing the true person that was hiding behind the mask of a pyromaniac and killer. The moment they stepped into war, walls were mentally built, and everyone changed. Tommy can still remember the times he would step back from everything, and take Tubbo out to their bench to escape reality for a moment. To talk about the old days when they lived in the caravan. Future plans to explore the world when the war ended.

It'll never end.

_That's all we're good for, right?_

Clenching his fists, Tommy let out a deep sigh, finding himself thinking too much about the question. Was that all they were good for? For war? No, they chose to fight for L'Manburg, and he'll continue to fight for L'Manburg, even if they were against him.

_But did he have a choice?_

Yes, he had a choice, and Sapnap chose to go against L'Manburg. Whether it be because he loved the chaos, or because he wanted to be on Dream's side. He chose his side, and now they're here, fighting war after war against each other. Blue eyes met hazel eyes, the desperation once swimming in the brown pool was now empty, and taking its place is a fire of burning emotions. He watched as the older teen let out a heavy sigh, and stepping back to slump back against the wall behind him to lean heavily against it.

"Tommy, I wanna be honest with you..."

"About what?"

"...Does any of this even matter anymore? I know you're exiled and all, but you got L'Manburg back, right? So, why are you still fighting? I'm not telling you to listen to Dream, but why do you continue fighting when you've got everything back already?"

Not everything, he still needed his disc, and he'll get it back one way or another.

"I've got unfinished business with Dream, Sapnap. Dream still has my disc, and I need to-"

"The discs, the discs, the discs, the di-I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE STUPID DISCS, TOMMY!"

The sudden change of tone caused him to instinctively reach for his sword, watching as the dark haired teen break down into a raging fit.

"YOUR DISCS CAUSED ME TO LOSE MY BEST FRIEND! HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ME ANYMORE! HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT GEORGE ANYMORE! DID HE EVEN CARE IN THE FIRST PLACE?! WAS EVERYTHING WE DID TOGETHER JUST FOR THOSE STUPID DISCS?!...Did everything we do together mean nothing to him?..."

Tommy watched as Sapnap try to compose himself once again, dragging his hands away from his hair after pulling on it at the near end of his fit. It was obvious that he was breaking down. He never saw the other get so emotional about something besides his pets getting killed, and having to let Mars go. It made him uncomfortable to watch someone that was known to be chaotic and energetic break down from the pressure of holding up that mask.

"I joined El Rapids because I needed to show Dream that I didn't need him anymore. That I had Karl, Quackity, and George to keep me up. During our time of trying to gain El Rapids's independence, I finally understood how you felt when he blew it all up. When _we_ blew it all up. We built it as a place to escape, you know? The same way you guys did, and he just...blew it all up...I never would have thought that I would see the day that it would be Dream who I was fighting against until we declared war against him and Eret. It didn't feel right that I had to fight against my own best friend because we were _always_ on each other's side."

_History repeats itself._

"Would you fight against Tubbo if you had to, Tommy?"

The thought alone made his stomach tie itself into a knot. He would _never_ fight against Tubbo. Sure, he might have chosen his nation over his best friend, and decided to exile him, but it didn't change his opinion. They had their fair share of fights, but they never crossed the line where they would fight against one another. Yet...it didn't help that they might have to in the future.

"No...I wouldn't."

"Exactly...that's why I'm tired. I'm done. I've been fighting for so long that I don't even know if I have the energy to continue. It was so fun to watch my enemies fall down onto their knees, but it doesn't feel the same anymore because it's become a constant cycle in my life. I was meant for war, Tommy, but what good am I if I can't go on? I had a purpose, and now it's gone. War after war, it just grows old quick...You get that, right?"

Fighting did get old, but if fighting meant getting his discs back, and defeating Dream once and for all, then he would do it a hundred times over.

"...Maybe that's why I'm willing to help you because I actually want to be friends instead of just fighting all the time...I want to push our past aside and make amends."

The flames that were burning in Sapnap's eyes burnt brighter than he's ever seen them before, expressing his determination as he stretched a hand out for Tommy to take as an acceptance. An acceptance to their new building friendship as their old rivalry has long since been forgotten. Even though they were on different sides, sides didn't matter when two rivals make amends. Maybe walking up to a mysterious, black pyramid wasn't a totally bad idea after all. Even though they had their differences, it was nice to have another person that can understand his struggles. If only by a little bit.

"Sure Sapnap, we can be friends."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the second chapter! As I said, characters may end up being OOC, but I'll try to keep them as their character the best I could. We need more Tommy and Sapnap friendship fics. They're such a underrated friendship, but don't worry, I will deliver. Anyways, updates will be slow cuz I'm in school, but I'll try my best with updating at least once a month.


	3. Dimming Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he first joined the war, he remembers a hand taking his wrist, and soft words being mumbled behind a familiar mask. He was then told that the markings on his wrist were the total lives he was given. Three. With that, he entered many wars with the two people he continues to consider his friends, and barely fearing for his life as he always had the upper hand at times. Though, like every fire, his burning passion for chaos dimmed when he realized that chaos wasn't always the answer. It wasn't until he suddenly lost a life in the middle of the night did he finally let the fire extinguish to let it grow back into a fire with a new purpose. Two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are now on Sapnap's POV! :D I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!

When he first joined the war, he remembers a hand taking his wrist, and soft words being mumbled behind a familiar mask. He was then told that the markings on his wrist were the total lives he was given. _Three._ With that, he entered many wars with the two people he continues to consider his friends, and barely fearing for his life as he always had the upper hand at times. Though, like every fire, his burning passion for chaos dimmed when he realized that chaos wasn't always the answer. It wasn't until he suddenly lost a life in the middle of the night did he finally let the fire extinguish to let it grow back into a fire with a new purpose. _Two._

~•~•~•~•~

It was still late in the morning by the time they finished speaking, saying his goodbye to Tommy, and giving a cold shoulder to Technoblade. Luckily, the self proclaimed _Blood_ _King_ also shared the same feeling since he didn't bother giving him another glance. He had every right to be salty with the pink haired male. Giving a final wave to the younger teen, the tired teen shut the door before letting out an exhausted sigh while rubbing his eyes. As much as he wanted to go back, and cuddle under the large blanket with his fiances, he decided to stay up a little bit longer to let his mind process what just happened. 

Lifting up his left sleeve, hesitant hazel eyes stare down at the two markings across his wrist, signifying the fact that he now has two lives left. It didn't bother as much, but his death was slightly unjustified in his opinion. 

It all happened so fast that it felt so much like a messed up dream. There was Tommy one second, and then he was on the ground the next. He didn't even realize that Technoblade was there until it was too late. He barely even had a chance to let out a startled cry when the sharp end of a pickaxe already made its way into the skin of his neck. Blood was spilling out faster than he would have liked when he put his hand across his neck to stop the bleeding. It ran like waterfalls between his fingers until it pooled into the grass beneath him.

When the bleeding wouldn't stop was the moment he started to panic while he desperately tried to add pressure. He tried to call out for help, but all that came out was choked words and blood. He was willing to _beg_ Tommy to make it stop. Yet, it wouldn't stop until it filled his lungs to the brim. It was by then that the ravenette couldn't bring himself to fight any further, collapsing into the blood soaked grass beneath him to let death take its claim. Then he was back in bed with arms and legs thrown around to the point they were tangled together. 

Sapnap remembers when he stared at the ceiling as the stinging sensation across his neck wouldn't go away after he woke up. He remembers when he turned to his side to wrap his arms around Karl's waist to calm his nerves. To make the flashing images go away. The faint scent of mixed berries filled his nose when he nuzzled closely to his fiance, removing one of his arms around the brunette's waist to grab a hold of Quackity's hand. It wouldn't do much, but feeling them close was enough.

The same phrase, _"It was all just a dream. It was all just a messed up dream,"_ kept repeating itself inside his head until a chilling thought suddenly appeared.

_What if they're still here?_

The thought alone made his blood run cold. Hazel eyes stared out into the distance before he untangled himself from the mess of limbs. It was either his life, or the two exiles that decide to enter the very lands they were exiled from. It all went by in a blur as he pulled himself out of bed to get a chest plate and sword, and made his way back out to fight against the banished anarchist. 

At first, they were simply throwing words at each other, but when a few words twisted the knife in his chest, all hell broke loose. He knew he was at an extreme disadvantage, yet he continued to raise his sword to clash against the other's pickaxe. The fight lasted longer than expected until the shorter male was thrown to the ground to be pinned down by his own sword.

Then, he was thrown into a pointless greek tale about two friends named Damon and Pythia. At first, he didn't understand why he was being told the tale, it all making no sense other than the fact that apparently the power of friendship is as powerful as it seems. It wasn't until the words started to grow sour that he understood why. The bitter truth that he always denied to believe. 

He was a _pawn._

A _puppet._

He wasn't Dream's _friend._

_He never was, was he?_

He knew that already. He's heard it more than once by different people and himself, yet he continued to be in denial. He wanted to believe it was all just a big, messed up joke that his faceless friend decided to make, and had everyone else help him make it seem real. Unfortunately, when he's told again and again that it isn't a joke, it makes the denial of the truth hurt more and more. 

When he saw the look of fear in Tommy's eyes, it was the moment he knew that things needed to change. Tommy is a literal _child_ in _exile_. Tubbo is the _president,_ and he's _seventeen. He's_ still young, and yet...they're all still going into war instead of doing stupid things that they used to do. So, he didn't regret breaking down. He didn't regret letting his _enemy_ see his vulnerable side. He didn't regret making amends to rebuild an old friendship that was torn apart by war.

_But was it the right choice?_

Would he be seen as betraying everyone? Was befriending the so called enemy a good thing? What would they think? Would he fight against or with Tommy when the time comes for another war?

The questions kept coming and coming, and it continues to grow until it became an endless spiral of a jumbled mess. Sapnap clutched the sides of his head as he slid down the stone wall, groaning in annoyance when a headache started to make its appearance. It was always so clear when he chose the winning side of war, but the internal war waging inside his head was something he couldn't win alone.

  
However, he knew two people that could _hopefully_ help sort of things out his jumble of a mess of thoughts. They both told him that anyone was welcome to visit them at any time when he or anyone else needed a ear to listen, or a shoulder to lean on. It was a tempting offer at the moment since his thoughts were basically in shambles, and the two people he knows that give good advice at any hours of the day is Bad and the king themselves, Eret. Sapnap _could_ go to the adult out of the two, but he needed someone blunt, and who wouldn't tell anyone else about what he needed to say.

Nodding his head to no one in particular, Sapnap pulled himself up from the ground to start making his way towards the king's castle. It was sort of a long walk as it's somewhere near where the community house is, but maybe having a walk will help clear his mind along the way. Putting away his sword and chest plate, he made his way back out of the pyramid, ignoring the fading pool of blood beside the front entrance to make his way towards the path.

The walk to the path itself was long, but nonetheless, he was already walking along the wooden pathway towards the direction of the community house in a matter of minutes. Sapnap fiddled with a small object he kept in his pockets most of the time since it helped him cope a few times when things grew a bit hectic back then. Now, he keeps it as a way to calm himself when his nerves grew too jumpy to his liking, taking it out only when it's needed. He was changing from his old self, so that also meant that old habits had to go away unless necessary.

A minute turned into two into three, and it continued on from there until he made it to the steps of the castle. The beacons in front of the castle light up the area as a way to prevent any creatures of the night from getting any closer since they don't like light very well. He was surprised that he didn't stumble upon one along the way, yet the path was void of any mobs as they like to call the creatures of the night. Sapnap gave the beacons a last glance before walking up the steps two at a time to get to the main entrance faster.

He was barely halfway up the steps until he noticed a lone figure standing at the top of the steps. They stood with their arms crossed across their chest, their crown shining brightly under the beacon's light.

"Hey Eret! Just the person I wanted to see."

"Hello to you too, Sapnap. Though, I would have preferred to see you during the day instead of four in the morning."

The king cocked an eyebrow in curiosity and amusement, but smiled nonetheless at the teen's timing to appear at odd hours of the night. Said teen smiles back as he finally made it to the top of the steps to stand in front of the waiting king.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but how did you know _I_ was the one coming?"

"I have my ways."

Eret turned around after that, waving their hand for Sapnap to follow as they started to make their way back to their castle.

"Now, why don't you tell me _why_ you're here? I don't recall there being any wars at the moment, or favors that I owe you."

"Ah, yeah, it's not for any of that. I just...I kinda need some help."

Sapnap stopped walking once they reached the entrance, causing the other to stop as well once they noticed the change in mood. Rubbing his arm anxiously, the ravenette decided to stare down to avoid making eye contact with the king. It was harder to admit needing help when he was used to helping himself. Eret stared at the anxious teen before relaxing their shoulders once they realized what type of situation this was.

"Follow me. We can talk in my library if you want. It's more comfortable there than sitting on a throne."

Looking up slowly, the younger male nodded timidly as he moved from standing by the entrance to stand next to the waiting king. They walk the opposite direction of the throne room, instead heading towards a spiraling staircase that went up to the many rooms, and down to the storage room and dungeon. The library was on the second floor to the far west, so they walked up the staircase until they found the floor they were looking for. Sapnap took in the tapestries and paintings that hung on the walls, barely noticing that he was falling behind until he lost sight of the tall royal.

He ran to catch up until he saw large double doors to his right with one door slightly ajar. Peeking his head inside, Sapnap caught sight of shelves upon shelves of books, and Eret standing beside the fireplace with a bottle of red wine and a glass in their hands. The brunette poured themselves a drink before setting the bottle down on the low table between the two fine furnished seats, waving his hand at the door knowing the younger male was standing there.

"Come inside, the seat are comfortable, and the fire is warm, Sapnap."

"Hey, how come you get to have wine?"

"Well, for one, I'm an adult, and two, I need it more when I have to deal with children."

"I'm not a kid!"

The king simply stared at the teen before them, who was glaring at them while also crossing his arms across his chest to give a point. Yes, most certainly _not_ a child. Taking their seat, the brunette took a sip from their glass, taking in the taste of berries and alcohol.

"You're the second problem child I have to deal with in this land."

"Who's the first?"

"Tommy."

"Oh, yeah, I can see that."

"That is besides the point. Tell me what troubles you, for you to make an appearance at my castle."

Sapnap sunk into the cushioned seat, resting his elbow against the armrest to rest his chin on his hand. Hazel eyes stare into the burning flames of the fireplace as he began to retell his tale of what happened not too long ago.

~•~•~•~•~

  
The only sound filling the silence was the crackling of the fire. Eret took a sip of her wine while staring at the fidgeting teen sitting across from them. Said teen was playing with a loose piece of string on his sleeve as he couldn't bring himself to make any sort of eye contact in order to calm his nerves. Sapnap bit the inside of his cheek when he didn't hear any response to his story, feeling the anxiety start to get the best of him. Taking a deep breath, he looked up for the first time since spending his time in the castle to look at the king directly in the eyes.

"You have to promise to not tell anyone, okay?"

"Seeing as this _is_ a delicate situation, you have my word of keeping this a secret. Though, I can't promise that I would be able to help you with this since you dragged yourself into it."

"Yeah, yeah, that's...that's fine. As long as you don't tell anyone, it's fine."

The nerves inside his body were bouncing, but calmed down once he knew that he could trust the other to keep it a secret.

"However, I would like to know _why_ you agreed to making amends. You weren't quite specific about that during your story."

"Right, right...It's sorta complicated in a way, but not really? It's just...When I saw Tommy for the first time since he's been exile, he didn't look the same. He didn't have that cocky grin like he usually does. He didn't hold himself in confidence anymore. He would always look ready to make a run for it if I made the wrong move. His eyes didn't hold that stubborn brightness they always had, and had bags under them. The clothes he wore were too small for him to wear properly. He wasn't the Tommy I was used to seeing, Eret. He was tired of fighting as much as I was, I could see it in his eyes."

He didn't notice that he was standing by then, waving his hands around while pacing back and forth in front of his seat.

"Kinda surprising that I'm tired, right? I mean, come on, I started a fucking war over pets. I willing joined every war that happened so far. I willing stood by Dream's side the entire time up until now, and it just isn't the same anymore. I want...I want to go back to the old days, Eret. I-I want it to just be me, George, and Dream again. When we had the community house, and all the land to explore. When it was just Wilbur and Tommy with their drug caravan. When there wasn't any conflicts...When we were all friends..."

He barely noticed the nails digging into his skin as he hugged himself unconsciously to calm his nerves.

"Is it bad that I want to stop fighting?...Is it bad that I agreed to make amends with Tommy?...Does that make me a traitor?...I can't be a traitor, right? I'm not. I'm not a traitor. I'm not choosing sides. I just want us to be friends again. Not enemies in war. We've been fighting long enough, right? So, there shouldn't be a reason for us to be fighting anymore. They shouldn't even be fighting in the first place. Tommy is a literal child. Tubbo is still a kid, and he's the _president_ of a _nation_ , Eret. A whole fucking nation. _I'm_ still a fucking teen, but I was already fighting before I could even be considered a teen. I can still fight. I can, even if I don't want to, but they shouldn't be fighting for their fucking lives _every day_!"

He could feel the dull pain from the way he pulled at his hair close to his scalp, shutting his eyes to stop the overflowing tears of rage and desperation.

"BUT I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE! I CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING BECAUSE _I_ WAS PART OF THE REASON WHY THEY WERE FIGHTING IN THESE WARS IN THE FIRST PLACE! I CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I'M _TIRED_ AND _SCARED_! I'M SO FUCKING TIRED OF ALL THIS BULLSHIT FIGHTING. ALL WE DO IS FIGHT FOR THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN! AND-AND I'M SCARED BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, ERET! WHAT IS THE POINT OF ME BEING HERE IF I DON'T HAVE ANY PURPOSE ANYMORE?! WHAT IS THE POINT?! WHY-...W-Why can't I do anything right? I-I gave it my all for every single fight, but I couldn't do the _one_ _thing_ I promised myself. I couldn't keep my promise to protect everyone I love. I couldn't do anything to stop Dream from becoming some power hungry God. I couldn't protect George from being dethrone, and being pushed aside. I can't even think for myself anymore."

He feel down onto his knees after they finally gave out. The emotions becoming too much as he roughly rubbed his eyes to make the tears go away.

"...I don't know if I'm making the right choices, Eret...I don't know if I can do this anymore...I don't know..."

Sapnap gave in to the pressure, falling into comforting arms. He doesn't know when Eret moved to kneel on the carpet floor in front of him, but it didn't matter at the moment. All that matters was the warmth the other radiated, and the calm heartbeat he could hear in her chest. Gentle hands rubbed his back, or pat his hair while smoothening it out from its tangled mess. He desperately gripped onto the other's shirt while hiding his face in her shoulder to let his tears fall freely down his cheeks into her shirt. They sat on the floor for minutes, maybe even an hour until the breaking child finally found peace to let himself breathe.

~•~•~•~•~

  
The only sound in the room was the crackling fire, and the tiny sniffles the young boy let out. It was difficult imagining someone known to be born for the role of a soldier break. His stubborn, strong, durable, and sturdy mask which gave the perfect image of a soldier being the only thing they saw, instead of the mischievous, bright, caring, and delicate boy inside. Now, in her arms was that boy, who is confused, tired, and scared, torn apart by betrayal, and losing to his inner demons. Eret never would have thought that her night would be like this. Then again, maybe she should have expected it since everyone has their breaking point, and Sapnap has reached his.

After giving the boy a gentle squeeze, Eret pulls back to see puffy, slightly red, hazel eyes barely look up from where it's just staring off into the distance. Now that she was closer, and had a clear understanding of what the teen was going through, she could see the dark bags under his eyes. The way his hair was less groomed than usual. The delicate state his mind is in at the moment. It was affecting him more than she would have liked. She knew the feeling of the wars taking a toll on one's mind, but she always found a way to make it go away. Unfortunately, Sapnap didn't have the same luxury as she did. Unbuckling her cloak, she drapes it across his shoulders like a blanket while brushing away any stray tears left behind from his breakdown.

"Are you feeling better now, Sapnap?"

"...Yeah."

"Good...I know you probably don't want to hear anything about what just happened, but I think it's best that you do hear it. Okay?"

"...Sure."

Eret lets out a soft sigh before straightening up a bit to make sure her point was taken somewhat seriously.

"You are not a traitor, Sapnap. As a former traitor, I would know one if I saw one, and you are not that. You are someone who is taking a daring and brave step towards redemption for the wrongs you've done by making amends with someone who you've wronged before. You are a mischievous, yet caring boy who causes trouble, but will love and care for others as well. You are someone who not only has one fiance, but two, who love you for you with all their hearts. You are someone who gave everything to two people who you saw as family while leaving nothing for yourself. As much of a brute you are, you can be selfish at times, and care deeply for those you love."

She wasn't the best at giving advice, but when she does, she wants it stick with that person to make sure they understand that she speaks the truth.

"You are by no means a traitor in my eyes, Sapnap, and I meant it when I say that you are the most loyal person I've seen. You stuck with Dream even when things suddenly turned dark up until now, but that shows your loyalty _and_ your strength. You are willing to fight against someone who has possibly more power than you if it means to protect someone else from their wrath. You are _far_ from weak, Sapnap. You have fought Dream before, you can do it again."

The distant, dull look on the other's face faded as she continued to let her speech out, and it warmed her heart to see the once extinguished flames light up again.

"You may have fallen tonight, Sapnap, but you can rise again. You remind me of a mythical beast I've read in ancient books I've found. You remind me of a phoenix. You will fall one day, but rise anew and stronger the next. Don't let the inner demons inside you make you think you've become weaker. It's _your_ choice of whether you join Tommy's side or not, but it doesn't have to be now. It also can't be too late. Make the choice when the time is right. Whether it be with everyone against or with you, _you_ have to decide what happens next."

With that, Eret gave the other one last hug before reaching over to the nearby table to chug down the rest of her wine.

"Now then, why don't we give that flint and steel of yours a go in the backyard. I'm sure I have some logs you can burn to pass the time until it's time for you to go back."

"Even though I'm sort of trying to not burn things at the moment, but I don't mind burning something for tonight."

"Then, lets make it worth it."

Before she could stand up, the brunette was suddenly tackled into a hug by the dark haired teen.

"Thanks Eret, I knew I could count on you."

"Now now, no need to get all mushy with me. We have logs to burn."

"Hell yeah! Lets go!"

They picked themselves up before making their way out of the library, the king's cape still wrapped gently around the raventte's shoulders. As a former traitor, Eret remembers the times she had to give one secret away to another, but this secret is something she will keep to herself. Not only for Sapnap's sake, but maybe it'll come in handy one day.

~•~•~•~•~

Crimson eyes glare into the back of blonde hair as the young boy continues to put away his armor inside his chest. 

"Tommy, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Of course I do, and besides, we could have a new ally if we need one when the time comes."

"Sapnap has sided with Dream time and time again. I wouldn't be surprised if he sided with him when we attack L'Manburg to get your discs back."

"You weren't there, Techno. He said he was tired of fighting. There was also apparently a fight between them, so maybe he isn't on Dream's side anymore. He wants to make amends, and so do I. Everything was different before you came, Techno, so you wouldn't understand. Just trust me this time, okay?"

  
Technoblade continues to glare at Tommy as the boy finally turns around to stare at the obviously agitated older male. It wasn't that he trusted the teen's judgment...Okay, he didn't trust his judgment at all. It's quite obvious that Sapnap could betray them if they, more like Tommy, would decide to trust him. He never exactly trusted the dark haired male in the first place, especially with the fact that he's on Dream's side. Clenching his fists, he turned around to make his way back up to his storage room, letting his hand fall on one of the ladder steps before turning back to face the other.

"I don't trust your judgment, Tommy. He can betray us at any moment if _you_ decide to trust him. When the time comes that we attack L'manburg, I hope you're right that we have an ally. If he betrays us, then it's all over. Everything we worked on will be for nothing."

With that, Technoblade started to make his way up the ladder without giving Tommy a chance to respond back. With or without Sapnap, blood will be shed the day they attack L'Manburg. The day he explodes the government and nation into a million pieces. Blood for the Blood God as he likes to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did try to make Sapnap's, Eret's, and Technoblade's POVs as accurate as possible. I feel like I made Eret a little bit OOC, so I apologize for that guys. I did have fun making Eret's inspirational speech cause it was very meaningful to be honest. I wanted to write wine aunt Eret that gives good advice, so I wrote it. Sapnap needed comfort, so I gave him some comfort. Anyways, updates will be slow, but I'll try to update some time during February. Hope you guys enjoyed, and see you guys until then!


	4. Peaceful Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trust is a strong emotion. Trust is a piece that can be easily gained, but can be easily lost. Trust is what keeps friendships together. Trust is what separates the black and white at times. That's why people are wary when it comes to trust. Can they trust this person? Can they trust their judgment? Once one gains the other's trust, it's their choice whether to break that trust or not. To use it as a friendship token, or as a pawn for future use. The choice of their future will always lay in their hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is sorta like a filler chapter as I start to make things more serious as the chapters go on, but of course, there'll be more filler moments when it's needed. Anyways, enjoy!

The night was slowly turning into the early morning by the time Sapnap left Eret's castle with a final farewell, and a content heart after letting the troubles go and burn with the logs in the backyard. It was tempting to ask for more things to burn, but he promised himself to hold back the urge anytime he felt the need to burn. Old habits die hard as everyone likes to say. The walk back to his home was uneventful, the mobs staying clear from the lit path. Even if he did want to risk getting himself attacked by mobs, he didn't have his armor or weapons to help fight back against the creatures.

He could see the dark royal blue sky turn into a navy blue color by the time he made it back home. The torches outside continue to burn which gave the area a dim glow, so he decided to leave them lit until the sun was peeking over the many structures around the land. Sapnap barely gave the grass by the entrance a single glance, though he could vaguely see that the grass had its original color back. Shutting the door behind him, he's surprised that he didn't pass out yet from how exhausted he mentally felt. Physically, the ravenette was alert, awake, and ready to start the day, but mentally, he felt utterly exhausted and dead from having to unload all of his thoughts that were putting him in a spiral. Maybe if he ate some breakfast, he would feel less dead and more alive. Rubbing his eyes, he started to make his way towards the hatch in between the chests to make his way down into the kitchen.

To say the least, Sapnap was surprised that he didn't end up burning the eggs since he spaced out a few times while making the small breakfast. Even though it was originally going to be just for him, he decided that he would cook some eggs for his fiances and George. If he wakes up that is. The breakfast wasn't much, only having scrambled eggs and bread for the morning with apple slices if anyone wanted any. He decided to throw in some dried beef as well since they tend to overstock on the beef sometimes. Opening one of the many barrels lined up against the wall, he checked inside to make sure they had enough water bottles left to drink. If not, then he could grab a few empty bottles, and fill them with water they collected in cauldrons when it rains.

To make this clear, the layout of their home was pretty casual per say. First, the food storage room/kitchen was stationed on the first level that is below the regular storage room above. Next, is their bedrooms that took up a whole level since it occupied four people, and they had space for any necessary items they wanted to keep in close proximity. Just below that was their library/enchanting room that is shared with a crafting area in the corner. Then, the potion room had a level to itself as well since they needed multiple brewing stands for different potions. Finally, the weapon and treasure room was at the very bottom with a station to repair any weapons or armor. There was also a secret exit in case they have to make a quick getaway if they ever get attacked.

He was already placing the plates full of food on the table by the time he could hear the soft tap of feet hitting against the wooden ladder steps. Turning around, Sapnap spotted Quackity basically dragging himself to the table with Karl following not too far behind. Looks like George is sleeping in again like always. Placing down the last plate, he walked over to give a quick kiss to both of his fiances before taking a seat across from a rather exhausted looking brunette. There wasn't much conversation since it was morning still, but once the sleepiness finally did wear off, the table was filled with a surprising quiet chatter about plans they had for today.

"What are you going to do today, Karlos?"

Karl softly giggles at the silly nickname before going back to poking at his eggs while nibbling on and apple slice.

"I still need to, uh, reorganize my library, but I will probably go trade with some cartographers to get new maps since the old ones I have are out of date."

"I told you to get new ones, Karl, but did you listen? No."

"I didn't think a lot would change so fast these past few months!"

"Well, as long as you get those updated, it's fine I guess. I mean, we didn't expect it either, but we did update our maps when we need them after a few hunts and exploring."

"Okay okay, Quackity, whatever you say."

Sapnap couldn't stop his soft chuckle as Karl tended to get a bit sassy at times, and it was amusing to watch in his opinion. Quackity gave the brunette a soft glare before going back to shoving the scrambed eggs into his mouth.

"Well, what are you guys going to do today?"

"I'll probably go exploring for some mine shafts, pick up a few pieces of gold or diamonds if I find any. Do we need anymore redstone?"

"You can check the chests in the potion room to see if we need a restock, Quackster. Speaking of restock, I'm going to the nether to find any new fortresses that haven't been raided yet, so I'll make sure to pick up some blaze rods along the way."

"You and the nether, Sapnap."

"What? I was basically born of fire, so the nether is like a second home to me."

"If you weren't obviously a human who's basically an arsonist, then I would have assumed you were a blaze hybrid since you literally burn everything in sight."

"Hey! I don't burn _everything_!"

"You nearly burnt down the karaoke stage when you tried to do a _fire_ dance of all things!"

"That was one time! Besides, you were impressed by my smooth moves until the stage caught on fire."

"Whatever you say Sap, but you're a walking fire hazard either way no matter how hard you try to say otherwise."

Sapnap nearly doubled over in laughter with how off topic they were going from their original conversation, but hey, that's what he loved about his fiances, they always find ways to make things funny in their own ways.

"As much as I would like to stay here, and talk with my lovely fiances all day, I have the nether to explore."

"Sap-"

"And don't worry, you guys will _always_ be my first home."

Standing up, he gave both of his fiances a kiss on the cheek before putting his plate away in the makeshift sink. He made three stops, the first being their bedroom to change into different clothing, and grab his sword and satchel. Unsurprisingly, George was still in bed, sleeping like there was no tomorrow. Shaking his head, he grabbed his satchel from where it laid on the floor beside his sword before making his way down the ladder. The second stop was to the potion room, grabbing healing and fire resistance potions for the trip in case he ends up fighting more nether mobs than expected, and if he ends up falling into the lava that basically surrounds the whole realm. The third and final stop was the weapon and treasure room, taking his armor off the stand to start securing it on his body. He also took his trident, axe, and pickaxe before Sapnap finally made his departure through the secret exit.

The feeling of water gliding against his skin, and suddenly flying high into the sky was amazing. The perks of having an enchanted trident was that he can fly high until the world beneath him was a small speck. Of course, he had to be smart of where he landed, but it didn't destroy the fact that he could fly without having wings. Unfortunately, it did have its limits which included the fact that he needed to stand in water, or make sure it rains in order for the trident's enchantment to work. After he landed, Sapnap made sure his satchel didn't open by accident while flying before starting his way towards the community's house nether portal. As much as he loves the nether fortress that is closest to the portal, he wanted to explore more of the nether to not only find more nether fortresses, but maybe to also distract himself from his disastrous night.

The walk towards the community house was the same as the one in the morning, no mobs to be seen, but this time, there was people walking along the path as well. He greets them briefly since he didn't want to spend much time chatting with anyone when he has the nether to explore. It wasn't until he past the Prime Church did he notice a familiar king leaning against the community house door. Holding up his trident, Sapnap waved at the brunette while running the rest of the way to greet the male.

"Fancy seeing you again this morning, Eret."

"The same to you, Sapnap. Though, we would have seen each other again regardless."

Eret pushed himself off the door to stand to his full height once Sapnap made it to the main entrance, making the shorter male feel much shorter than what he already is to the male. Frowning at the obvious height difference, the ravenette fought the urge to flip the other offer when he could see his knowing smug look on his face.

"That's true, I guess. So, what are you doing standing outside the community house? Expecting someone?"

"You can say that, and I'm assuming you're going to the nether?"

"Yup! I'm going to try to find more nether fortresses to explore. I'm also picking up some blaze rods along the way for potions."

"I'm sure if you head farther North, you can find some there. Just don't trench too far into the nether, you could end up getting lost if you don't leave some sort of marking to know where you've been."

"I'll be fine! I've ventured in the nether before, so I would know which way to go to get back to the portal."

"If you insist, blaze boy."

He was about to give a response to the nickname until a sudden shiver went up his spine, causing him to tense up as he froze for a moment. Sapnap slowly turned around, only to be greeted by the sight of a certain masked man. It seems like Eret also noticed as he sent the masked blonde a wave as a greeting.

"I'm surprised you were late this time, Dream. You're usually the first one here."

"Ah, sorry about that Eret. I got held up is all, but I'm here, right?"

"Of course. Now then, lets head to my castle. We have business to discuss, yes?"

"Yes, we do."

Was it bad that he felt left out of the conversation? Maybe, but then again, it wasn't entirely his business. Deciding to take their start of conversation as his point to leave, Sapnap slides past Eret into the community house to start making his way to the nether portal. Switching his trident to his left hand, he reached out to grab the doorknob until Dream's voice echoed loudly in the community house.

"Where are you going, Sapnap?"

His fingers froze just barely a few centimeters away from his escape, finding himself tensing up as he turned around to face Dream and Eret, who were still standing at the near opposite end of the community house.

"Oh, uh, I was going to the nether."

"That's it?"

Even with his mask on, the raventte could feel the blonde's eyes pierce right into his soul like a predator to its prey.

"I'm just going to explore for more fortresses, and pick up some blaze rods along the way. I won't be long...Maybe..."

The tension in his body made his flight or fight instincts start to flair up as it starts to recoil in on itself to be ready to spring into action if the other made any sudden movements. Usually he would have been more relaxed around the masked man's presence, but things have been tense between the two after their short war for El Rapids', formerly known as Mexican L'Manburg, independence. He could feel his hands instinctively twitch to reach for his sword until Eret suddenly moved from behind Dream to create a sort of barrier between them.

"Don't we have matters to discuss, Dream? I already told Sapnap to be careful while exploring the nether, so you don't need to worry about it."

Sapnap let some of the tension bleed out from his shoulders, relaxing a tad bit when he couldn't see Dream from behind Eret's tall figure.

"...Yes, we do have matters to discuss...See you later, Sapnap."

"Uh, yeah, see you later, Dream."

Giving Eret a quick wave and goodbye, Sapnap opened the door to make his way towards the community house portal. He was thankful for the brunette being there, or else things may have went downhill. By the time he walked out, the tension in his body completely bleed out as he climbed up the black stone steps, turning around to face the community house once he made it to the portal. His vision was surrounded by a purple haze as he stood in the obsidian built portal, waiting for the teleportation to begin. Suddenly, the gentle and cold breeze was replaced by a hot and humid atmosphere, indicating that the portal travel was successful.

Stepping away from the portal, he could easily just stare into one direction to another, and still see nothing but lava and nether rocks. Shaking his head, he decides to double check his satchel to make sure he didn't leave without having any of the items inside restocked at least. Luckily, he had enough ender pearls, golden apples and carrots, and dried beef to last for the journey, along with other necessary items and the potions. Surprisingly enough, he still had his crossbow inside with a few arrows as well from his last hunting trip. If he ends up with some room left after getting blaze rods, then he can pick up some netherite along the way, and give a piece or two to Eret as a thank you gift of sorts. Shutting his satchel once more, Sapnap looks up to stare out into the lava filled land for a moment before making his way to the bridge that headed North.

However, before he could even take a single step on the bridge, a sudden cry of a ghast came from his right followed by a fireball. Sapnap barely had time to roll to the side when the attack made contact with the black stone floor, causing it to darken and crack a bit, but still keep its form. He had always questioned as to why the portal had to teleport them in the middle of a lava lake where a ghast could naturally appear at any time. It was utterly annoying how many times he had to watch his step every time he crossed the bridges because a ghast would suddenly appear, and make things difficult for him to cross the stupid bridge. Pushing himself up against one of the black stone walls they built around the portal, he quickly put his trident down while opening his satchel to take out his crossbow along with two arrows to save the rest for later.

Once he loaded the crossbow, Sapnap threw himself back out into the open to shot the loaded crossbow. The first arrow hit the ghast dead on, but the second arrow missed by a few inches since the nether mob took to moving once it realized his motive. He barely had time to move to the side when an incoming fireball exploded the area he was just standing. Taking out another arrow, he loaded the crossbow as quickly as he could while keeping an eye on the ghast, waiting for it to attack to shot his arrow. A cry filled the humid air as the ghast let out another fireball towards the armored male. Luckily, he was ready as he rolled off to the side to avoid the attack, and immediately gets into a kneeling position for perfect aim before shooting the arrow at the nether mob.

The ghast's remains evaporated into thin air once he had taken the hint, leaving nothing behind, but the last of its tears as they feel into the hot lava below. As valuable as the ghast's tears were, it was a risky job at times to take the time to kill, and retrieve any tears or fire charges it leaves behind. Pushing himself up from his kneeling position, Sapnap put his crossbow back inside his satchel, and turning back towards the makeshift wall to grab his trident off the floor. Once he made sure the close was clear, the ravenette started his journey across the makeshift bridge towards the North, looking for the adventure that he craves, and hopes to find.

~•~•~•~•~

Snowflake after snowflake, the snow on the ground continued to rise up as the light snowfall gleefully passes by, bringing with it cold temperatures and a possibility of a storm. Luckily, the inside of the cabin was warm enough to keep the cold at bay, especially with the pile of blankets the blonde teen covered himself in when he woke up that morning to feel nothing but the cold. The room he made down in the basement can only be warm for some long until it starts to freeze. Tommy gave the tamed wolf, Em if he remembers correctly, a nice scratch behind the ears as he sat beside the fire to get warm while waiting for a certain someone to come back.

They received news that a certain winged person and ghost were going to drop by before the storm, so Technoblade had him stay at the cabin while going out to pick up more food and supplies at the nearby village. At first, Tommy tried to persuade the older male to let him go as well, but was declined immediately. Then, he tried to bargain with the male by saying he'll do the next week's chores, but again, he was immediately declined. Finally, it brought down to the one thing he deserves doing, he _begged_ the man to let him go. Unfortunately, he was declined once again, and was forced to stay with the piglin's tamed wolf and friend enderman. 

He loves the cabin, he really does, but it gets so _boring_ having to stay inside most of the time because of how cold it was outside. Sure, he has a wolf to play with, but that was about it. The enderman mostly stares at him, or stares out into space since it was stuck inside. So, Tommy settles with glaring into the fire to wait for Techno to get back, or for when Phil and Ghostbur arrive. It was weird calling Wilbur "Ghostbur" at first, but he grew to getting use to it after awhile. Besides, the Wilbur he knew wasn't exactly the same as the Wilbur he knows now. Groaning out loud to himself, the blonde boy let himself fall backwards to lay on the wooden floor while staring at the ceiling out of boredom. 

"Em, I swear to god, if Techno doesn't get back in the next three minutes, I'm going to lose my mind."

The tamed wolf simply tilted her head before moving from her spot beside the fire to lay down next to him on the floor. Tommy scoffed at her, but gave her a scratch behind the ears while going back to waiting for Techno and the other two to arrive.

"When do you think Phil and Ghostbur will get here, Em?"

Titling his head to the side, he saw Em fell asleep, so he decides to leave the wolf there as he slowly pushes himself up to sit back up again.

"Welp, I guess it's just me and you, Edward."

Edward, as the enderman was called, continues to stare out the window instead of giving the human a single glance. Upon noticing that the enderman was ignoring him, the teen sighs as he rests his elbows against his knees to hold his head in his hands while softly groaning to himself.

"I'm literally talking to myself right now, I think I'm going insane."

"I don't think you going insane would be a good thing for us right now, mate."

Tommy is surprised that his neck didn't break with how fast he turns around to face the older man, who stood by the door with another man standing beside him. 

"Phil! Ghostbur!"

"And don't forget Friend!"

The dirty blonde, older male tucks in his wings as he takes a step inside, moving closer to stand by the fire to let his wings get warmer. The tall, brunette male happily walks inside after taking off his boots beside the door while holding onto a leash that led Friend, his sheep, inside as well, away from the chilling elements outside. Phil gave Tommy a warm smile after helping him stand up from his bundle of blankets, staring at the boy with a sense of relief once he saw that he was doing better than the last time he visited. As a single father, he felt the utter shame and regret for not being there for his kids when they needed him. Now, he wants to fix the broken bridges he has between his children to have the close bond he once had back then.

"Hey mate, how've ya been?"

"I'm going insane, Phil! Techno left me here all alone with nothing to do! I was so bored, and all I had was Em and Edward to keep me company! No offense, Em. You too, Edward."

  
Luckily, the tamed wolf simply let out a bark while sitting beside the standing teen, wagging her tail out of excitement due to the extra company. The enderman didn't give a response as usual, but it did tilt its head down for a moment before going back to staring into space. Phil chuckles at the young boy's obvious pouting face before ruffling his hair which caused the already messy hair to become a bird's nest.

"No need to start pouting, mate. I'm sure Techno did it to make sure you stay safe and warm."

"I'm not pouting! And who says I can't take care of myself? I'll have you know, Phil, that I'm the most manliest man here, right now."

"Oh really?"

"Oh, hello Techno! Would you like some blue?"

Phil and Tommy turned towards the door where Ghostbur and Technoblade stood with one carrying a tiny sack of blue, and the other carrying a sack of supplies on one shoulder and his other hand holding another sack of food.

"Just let me put these down somewhere, and you can give me blue in a minute."

"Of course! Come on Friend, let Techno pass instead of blocking the way, shall we?"

Moving the blue dyed sheep aside, Ghostbur tugged the sheep towards the rest of the occupants while happily humming to himself. Phil left his spot by the fire to close the distance between him and Techno, taking the smaller sack out of the man's hand to let him put down the larger sack onto the floor. Tommy barely got the chance to say something before a tiny sack of blue was shoved in his hands. Looking up from his hands to the translucent man, the blonde teen gave him a confused look as the other male simply smiled before turning back to stare at the other two. He decides to just listen for now while shoving the tiny sack of blue in his pocket.

"Hey mate."

"Hello Phil."

"How've ya been?"

"Okay I suppose, but with the brat staying, it's gotten more hectic than usual."

When he heard the pink haired male call him a brat, Tommy nearly exploded on his spot, but decided to simply correct him than go off on the man.

"I'm not that bad, so stop spewing lies!"

"You're nearly close to eating through all of my _gapples_ , Tommy! There's stacks of beef in one of those chests, but you decide to just eat _my_ gapples!"

"I need the duration, Techno! You have enough of that with being the Blood God and all!"

"It isn't the same, Tommy!"

The middle and youngest continued to argue about the younger male's addiction to gapples as the oldest and father laugh in the background. The family's small reunion created a warm and light atmosphere in the small cabin, and nothing could break their moment of peace. Rare moments such as these were cherished deeply by the family as they always wonder if this will be their last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible more protective Eret content? Maybe. More Karlnapity content? Yes, we love these fiances. Is it tempting to make Sapnap a blaze hybrid? Yes it fucking is, but I'm not gonna do it. More Sleepy Bois Inc content? Yes. Philza feeling ashamed and guilty for not being there for his kids? Most likely. Is he gonna redeem himself? Of course, we love Dadza. Hotel? Trivago. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Until then!

**Author's Note:**

> I do hope you enjoyed reading my first chapter! Updates may be slow, so do expect that. I may add in new tags within every update. Anyways, see you guys until then, bye!


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